


Jump In

by QuillMind



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Epilogue, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 02:59:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10324046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuillMind/pseuds/QuillMind
Summary: Set immediately after the battle with Sephiroth in Advent Children.  Everyone is in the church with Cloud, and those affected by the Geostigma have been healed.  All is well, but there is still the matter of clarifying unsaid feelings.  Sometimes, you need someone else to give you a bit of encouragement.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So just recently I'd gotten around to watching the Complete version of FFVII: AC, and was pleased to see the added content, though the story still has issues here and there. But anyway, it reminded me of wanting a little scene at the end with Cloud and Tifa, because I always liked Tifa a lot (but I like Aerith too, mind you), and wanted that muddled bit between her and Cloud to be cleared up already. So this here is my quickie bit of wish-fulfillment.

Bright, warm sunlight filtering in through the hole in the roof.  A large pit in the floor that had turned into a pool of healing water.  Children once affected by Geostigma, now laughing and splashing in the pool, cured of their illness.  And in the middle of it all, Cloud, smiling. 

Tifa hadn't seen anything more beautiful in a long time. 

He looked a little uncomfortable at being the center of attention, but that was nowhere near enough to sour his mood.  After two years of running, wandering, searching, wading through darkness and regret, he had emerged into light, the burden of his guilt and self-doubt worn away.  He was happy. 

The children frolicked in the pool, splashing each other and the people who stood by its edge, and some of them were also seized by a youthful delight, leaping in to play as well.  Denzel waved for Marlene to come, and after a quick look at Tifa, who nodded and patted her back, she giggled and jumped in. 

_Why don't you join in?_

A familiar voice, soft and sweet, floated within Tifa's head.  Her eyes widened and she snapped her head around, but saw nothing except the faded walls and pillars of the church. 

_Yeah, it's me._

Tifa turned back, and instead of seeing Cloud and the children, there was nothing but whiteness and a smiling flower girl in red and pink. 

"Aerith...?" 

_Bingo._

Tifa gaped like a fish for a moment, completely at a loss.  The sky, the ground, everything was white with no shadows.  It was impossible to tell how far this environment extended.  "Where--?  Am I--"

Aerith laughed, her long tail of hair swaying behind her.  _You're not dead, silly!  This is kind of like... a space out of time, I guess?  It's not reality, and it's not the afterlife._  

She was still as cheerful as ever, Tifa observed.  Even growing up in the slums, Aerith had somehow always remained optimistic and hopeful no matter what situation she found herself in.  It had been hard for Tifa to not feel even a little envious of that. 

_Anyway, what I meant to say was, you need to stop dilly-dallying, too!_

Tifa blinked as Aerith pointed an admonishing finger at her.  " _Me?_ "

_Yes, you!_   The 'scolding big sister' look switched over instantly to 'caring friend.'  _When are you going to just get out there and tell him Cloud how you feel, already?_  

"Tell--!"  The sentence ended before it even began as Tifa blushed pink.  "I can't do that!" 

_Why not?_

"Because..."  Because I'm terrified that he doesn't feel the same--maybe he just sees me as a dependable friend, someone safe.  Because he might feel awkward and leave again.  Because I might lose our friendship. 

Because it would feel like I'm trying to take him from you--

_Hey!_

Two pale palms lightly slapped against Tifa's cheeks, and she found herself staring into a pair of vibrant green eyes. 

_Don't be going down that Negative Nancy road!  We've already had enough troubles with Cloud being lost there!_

The serious face lingered for mere moments before it reverted to a effervescent smile again. 

_I'm telling you what I told him.  I never blamed you, not once.  None of you "failed" me, and I don't regret doing what I did.  So you guys need to stop making me your reason for denying what makes you happy!_

Aerith's inherent ability to raise someone's spirits and make them feel like everything would be okay--it never failed to amaze.  All-encompassing, all-accepting, much like the planet itself. 

_I want to see you guys smiling even more.  So enough with the tip-toeing on eggshells and just jump in.  Cloud's not the sharpest sword in the box when it comes to this stuff, so you're going to have to take the first step._

With the blink of an eye, the world returned, and Tifa found herself back in the church.  No one else had noticed anything had happened to her, and no significant amount of time seemed to have passed. 

Scanning the area, her gaze went across the stained glass windows, her friends that she'd fought with, the Midgar citizens and children--and they locked with Cloud's. 

Her breath froze, and so did his.  Was he aware of what had transpired between her and Aerith?  Possible.  What she did know was that in that moment, every insecurity and emotion she'd had towards him came bubbling up to the surface like a newly uncovered well. 

He was her friend, her childhood next-door neighbour, her comrade-in-arms, her pseudo-business partner (considering he used her bar as a base of operations for his delivery service).  They knew each other's losses and tragedies, saw them come close to dying more than once, and persevered through monsters, personal demons and a near-apocalypse.  Beneath all that, there was a clustered, tight mass of wishes that Tifa had hidden away like buried jewels--wanting to hold him and be held, talk with faces mere inches apart, kiss over and over, fall asleep and wake up together, to be not just needed, but _wanted_ in a way that no one else could be a substitute for. 

And at the nucleus of that mass was the key desire: that he felt the same way about her.  

He had confronted his fears and broken past them.  It was time she did the same. 

_Just jump in._

A jolt of energy propelled her into a short dash, and she dove from the edge of the wooden floor towards Cloud. 

He had only a moment's warning, but that was more than enough for him to raise his arms to catch her.  With the force of a cannon she smacked into his body, knocking the both of them down to be below the surface of the water.  The coolness of the pool was as exhilarating as the feel of each other's skin was searing, and the collision, the turning upside-down of the world and the shock to the senses, all felt right to Tifa then. 

Because that was the way love was. 

Distorted, muffled voices were garbled above.  Children's legs stood around them like water plants and wiggly bubbles of air streamed up from the wake of the splash, but all the garnet eyes saw were Mako blue ones. 

_Words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel._

Her lips closed around his before she knew it. 

He was still at first, then responded by pulling her closer and kissing back.  The weightlessness of being underwater only added to the surreal sensation, with black and golden hair fluttering by their faces like ribbons. 

Time began to flow again at a normal speed, and buoyancy sent the two back to the surface.  They separated just before breaking through the water, sending waves splashing all around them, feeling like something being born.  Tifa spluttered breathlessly and laughed, somewhat embarrassed by her boldness but also relieved to have finally done what she had piled on excuses to not do.  It had less to do with having nothing to lose, and more to do with having everything to gain. 

Cloud chuckled haltingly at first, being rather rusty at it--when _was_ the last time he had shown _real_ mirth?--but soon let loose into easy, natural laughs that amazingly touched deep to the core of everyone in the church.  Once he had started, he found it a challenge to stop, but since it felt so freeing, he gave up almost immediately. 

They were still holding each other, as if it was no longer possible to let go, her squeezing at the knit of his shirt, him cupping her bare shoulders.  Tifa shyly bit her lip, shining from the water beading down her face. 

"Come ooooon already, you two!" Yuffie yelled from the background.  "Get on with it!" 

"Yeah, Cloud, you gonna man up or ain't ya?" Cid barked through a cigarette-clenching mouth. 

There was laughing and whistling from the crowd, and shouts of encouragement from the children.  Cloud and Tifa both blushed a bit, only then remembering they had an audience.  Dipping their faces, they inadvertently touched foreheads, which made them smile again. 

_Go on, it's rude to keep a girl waiting._

Cloud smirked to himself, to the familiar voice. 

You don't need to tell me twice, he thought. 

And he kissed her. 

The first one underwater had been far more dreamlike, whereas this one was steeped in reality.  They were soaked from head to toe, their hair was plastered down (though Cloud's still had the power to resist gravity and the weight of water), and their clothes were going to need some serious dry cleaning care if they weren't already ruined.  Tifa smelled smoke, metal, leather, sweat, and a distinctly fresh, green scent from Cloud.  His nose was filled with mist, flowers, earth and honey.  They could hear the tiny sounds of their lips moving, Tifa's thrilled gasps and the metallic clinking of the ring in the wolf's mouth on Cloud's pauldron.  The crowd cheered louder, and the floor rumbled from some of the people jumping up and down. 

The sun warmed them.  The water cooled them.  Their touch burned them.  Her knees felt weak, his head was swimming--in the best possible way. 

_You see?  Everything's all right._

No.  Better than all right. 

Everything they cherished was right here. 

Everyone was smiling. 

It was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it's the cheesiest thing I've ever written! Step to me! I'll be at my [Tumblr!](http://tanzanitedepths.tumblr.com/)


End file.
